For the 4th year, Harley-Davidson welcomed bikers May 20-21 downtown Cologne near the famous Church and around for festivities, a parade of 2500 riders to the Rhine river. It was followed by a 2-daybike show sponsored by Metzeler and Custom Chrome Europe.

The event is free of access for the public at large, but each bike owner must pay 10 euros to pay for security enforcement in and out of this extremely urban and congested area of the city. Yes, in Germany, organizers and have to be financially ready to face any unforeseen event, including the most apocalyptic. And money is raised from those “making” the event (bikers) and not from the watching spectators…

And for those who want to know a little bit more, the Cologne Cathedral of Cologne is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

It is Germany’s most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day and currently the tallest twin-spired church at 515 ft (157 m) tall. (photos @ H. Roesler)